Cadet of the Year and USAFA

[XxJake114xX]

So, I am applying for Special Activities Selection Boards, and I meet all the criteria for Cadet of the Year. The deadline for application submission, however, has been extended and will close very soon.

Starting March 1st, I will be starting my application to the Air Force Academy.

My question is, does the Air Force Academy recognize Civil Air Patrol's "Cadet of the Year" Award? Would it be worth it to sign up and send it all in so I can write it on my application?

Thank you!

[Eclipse]

My question is, does the Air Force Academy recognize Civil Air Patrol's "Cadet of the Year" Award? Would it be worth it to sign up and send it all in so I can write it on my application?

First which "Cadet of the Year" are you referring to? There are several different types.

Next, like any other accolade, being "Cadet of the Year" is better then not being "Cadet of the Year", however you don't "sign up"
for an award.  Your unit's award committee, or Commander, etc., considers you and other cadets in your squadron and
submits the awards based on their subjective decision.

Considering the subjective nature of the "OTYA" in CAP, and the fact that they are as much "Of the nominated" as "Of the Year",
they don't generally mean all that much, especially a unit level award.

Being the CAP National Cadet Of the Year, is "something", but not likely to move the needle much on a USAFA application,
especially in light of the fact that most legitimate applicants are going to be stand-out cadets as it is.

[XxJake114xX]

Okay, I understand you completely. I have nothing to lose if I sign up, so I will do it because why not. Thank you for the advice Eclipse!

[kcebnaes]

To add on a little, if this is for the Cadet of the Year award(as found in eServices) the deadline to have that submitted to Wing was 15 January..just an FYI.

[MSG Mac]

Florida Wing incorporates Cadet of the Year selections into their NCSA Selection Board

[XxJake114xX]

Florida Wing incorporates Cadet of the Year selections into their NCSA Selection Board

That's correct, also FLWG extended the deadline to sign up for Selection Boards, so my deduction is that the Cadet of the Year Award is extended by default.

[stillamarine]

Florida Wing incorporates Cadet of the Year selections into their NCSA Selection Board

That's correct, also FLWG extended the deadline to sign up for Selection Boards, so my deduction is that the Cadet of the Year Award is extended by default.

That's not really a deduction but more of an assumption. You may want to double check that. In my experience in FLWG I only saw the award deadlines extended once and that was due to lack of entries.

[LATORRECA]

   Sorry motivator! However, the decision (as mentioned above) lays on yours Commanders and not on you. Knowing this, your Group Commander have to weigh in on your commanders decision to submit you for this recognition. If you think you deserve to compete on this recognition then talk to your Squadron commander about it and have him to provide you an answer, yes or no.

  My recommendation just add your current achievements to your USAF Academy application. Do not count on something that may not happen and then you look like a liar on your paperwork. Good luck on your application.

S/F
Top Latorre

[kwe1009]

Most likely you are not getting nominated by your squadron CC for Cadet of the Year.  The package requires a full length picture of you, your high school transcripts, and SAT/ACT scores.  If you haven't been asked to provide this the you are not being nominated.

[stillamarine]

Most likely you are not getting nominated by your squadron CC for Cadet of the Year.  The package requires a full length picture of you, your high school transcripts, and SAT/ACT scores.  If you haven't been asked to provide this the you are not being nominated.

You have to take SAT/ACT for Cadet of the Year? What if it's an 8th grader or freshman?

[kwe1009]

Most likely you are not getting nominated by your squadron CC for Cadet of the Year.  The package requires a full length picture of you, your high school transcripts, and SAT/ACT scores.  If you haven't been asked to provide this the you are not being nominated.

You have to take SAT/ACT for Cadet of the Year? What if it's an 8th grader or freshman?

Not many 8th graders are C/Capt or above (another requirement for this award).  The CAPF 58 lists all of the mandatory attachments.

[Offutteer]

Most likely you are not getting nominated by your squadron CC for Cadet of the Year.  The package requires a full length picture of you, your high school transcripts, and SAT/ACT scores.  If you haven't been asked to provide this the you are not being nominated.

You have to take SAT/ACT for Cadet of the Year? What if it's an 8th grader or freshman?

Minimum requirements for the National Cadet of the Year include:

(1) received the Amelia Earhart Award (or higher),
(2) demonstrated outstanding leadership in CAP,
(3) attained academic excellence in school, and
(4) be at least a junior in high school.

CAPR 39-3   24.a

[LATORRECA]

So that's the reason I wasn't nominated. [darn]ed I missed 2 out 4. 😂😂😂😂😂😂

Sent from my HTC Desire 530 using Tapatalk

[stillamarine]

Well thanks for the info. I was unaware of those requirements. Personally I feel that it should be based on a cadets merits over a said year. c/SSGT can save 20 lives but couldn't be Cadet of the Year. But that's just me. Someone way about my pay grade decided those were the requirements and so be it.

[XxJake114xX]

So, in order to compete for Cadet of the Year, I should have contacted my squadron commander that I am interested in competing and then the application process would have been initiated that way? Currently I am filling out the paperwork and planning on sending it to my squadron commander for approval and signature, am I going about this Award the wrong way?

[Eclipse]

Yes. That's not how it works, and the deadline has passed.

[LSThiker]

Would it be worth it to sign up and send it all in so I can write it on my application?

While everyone else is focusing on the process for the "Cadet of the Year Award", I would like to point out that when admissions committees look at applicants, there usually is not just 1-specific thing that causes them to accept or reject a student.  Granted, I have never seen the USAFA admissions committee, but I do have experience and knowledge of other university admissions committees.  So whether you have the "CotY" Award or not is not going to "make or break" your USAFA application, especially if you are lacking in other "more important areas" (i.e. GPA). 

From my PhD days, we had a student that had a reasonable GPA (not stellar), but was financially taking care of his disabled mother and his 15 year old brother in addition to having a few published scientific articles from his masters thesis.  If you call that a "1-specific thing", then okay, I guess that "1-specific thing" got him into the PhD program.  I would not, but he obviously stood out for having a difficult hardship and performing decently academically and scientifically.   Generally, the admissions committee looks for students that have a well-rounded application and stand out in multiple areas. 

I had this discussion with a mother one time about how a student with a 3.99 GPA and an above average MCAT was rejected from medical school.  Academically, he performed well, but he had nothing else on his application.  No work, no internships, no extra activities, no shadowing, no anything.  Nearly any college student could get a 3.99 GPA if all they do is sit in a library and study.  However, that may mean nothing to the committee because it does not show "time management" and diversification of one's self.

My my $0.0000002   

[kwe1009]

So, in order to compete for Cadet of the Year, I should have contacted my squadron commander that I am interested in competing and then the application process would have been initiated that way? Currently I am filling out the paperwork and planning on sending it to my squadron commander for approval and signature, am I going about this Award the wrong way?

As others have said the deadline for COY nominations to the Wing has passed. 

In a perfect world squadron commanders would nominate deserving people in their squadrons for annual and other awards without having to be prompted either from above or for the actual member but that is not how CAP (and most of the world) work.  You have to start the process yourself. 

Even if the deadline had not passed I would not start filling out the paperwork for any award until I talked with my commander.  If they are not willing to support it then you are wasting your time.

[TheSkyHornet]

Well thanks for the info. I was unaware of those requirements. Personally I feel that it should be based on a cadets merits over a said year. c/SSGT can save 20 lives but couldn't be Cadet of the Year. But that's just me. Someone way about my pay grade decided those were the requirements and so be it.

I absolutely agree with this statement ten-fold.

In regard to the original post, and the comments, I'm failing to understand this in its entirety. "In order for me to compete for Cadet of the Year"----this statement immediately makes me go "What the heck are you talking about?"

First off: Anyone who receives an award should earn that award in the eyes of their peers/superiors. It's not something you are out to obtain. You don't compete for recognition.

Secondly: As said two posts above this, a CAP award will not solidify an academy application. Likewise, not having a certain CAP award will not destroy anyone's chances at getting into an academy. If that was the case, academies would barely have any students. Most cadets at the USAFA are not prior CAP members.

If you think you deserve to get into the Academy, earn it through the application process for the Academy, not through "winning awards." While I am not on a committee for a service academy, I have been through the opposite end of having to obtain my own letters of recommendation and put together my resume for entry into officer training. I have also been asked to write letters for others since. I write a letter for someone I feel earned that from me, and it's generally not a hard task to get me to look at someone and know what I can do to help them. But asking for awards generally puts me over the edge into severe levels of annoyance.

Don't worry about the awards. Just do your job. Push yourself. Learn. Progress. And motivate others along the way. That's how you'll stand out both in-person and on paper.

[goblin]

First off: Anyone who receives an award should earn that award in the eyes of their peers/superiors. It's not something you are out to obtain. You don't compete for recognition.

Not until on active duty anyways...

[kwe1009]

First off: Anyone who receives an award should earn that award in the eyes of their peers/superiors. It's not something you are out to obtain. You don't compete for recognition.

Not until on active duty anyways...

+10000000000000

Well thanks for the info. I was unaware of those requirements. Personally I feel that it should be based on a cadets merits over a said year. c/SSGT can save 20 lives but couldn't be Cadet of the Year. But that's just me. Someone way about my pay grade decided those were the requirements and so be it.

There are so many flaws in the entire CAP annual awards program for sure.  Some "of the year" award are actually "lifetime achievement" and other issues.

While your C/SSgt wouldn't be eligible for COY, they would be eligible for the CNCOOY.  If it was a C/1st Lt who saved all of those lives then there is no annual award for them.

[Storm Chaser]

Florida Wing has a Wing Cadet of the Year selection for cadets in each Phase of the Cadet Programs. If selected, those who meet the criteria for the National award, go to compete at the Region level. The other selections are recognized at the Wing level only. The deadline was extended (I don't remember the new date) for the local awards and selection process.

[XxJake114xX]

Okay, I understand what all of you are saying, I greatly appreciate the tips and advice you all have given me. I will definitely keep what you have said in mind for the future, TheSkyHornet. I am doing everything I can to push myself to be the best that i can be, and I know exactly what you mean by saying "If you think you deserve to get into the Academy, earn it through the application process for the Academy, not through 'winning awards.'"

Again, thank you for the guidance, I really appreciate it

[Starbux]

Really I do not think it will make a huge dent in your application process to be honest.  I mean it doesn't hurt. Really the fact you are in CAP is a plus, especially since you were able to make it to the 2nd milestone.  Really, what they look for is the academic record and test scores as the primary factor, then they look at all extra curricular stuff.   They highly look at the courses you take.  Like if you have a 4.0 in all basic courses you probably will be weighted lower than a kid with a 3.8 in advanced course work like Calculus, Physics and other AP level courses.  If you think about the selection board, they are looking to ensure that you have the ability to make it through.  What you want to enter into, is four years of rigorous academic work that goes beyond your normal college student.  The one thing that separates the academy from other colleges is that even you major in Basket Weaving you still have to have a technical course load.  I believe you have to have a tech minor in some sort of Math, Physical Science or Engineering.  In addition while you have your rigorous course work you are also a cadet in the corps with all the hoopla that goes with that.  At some point you have a cadet staff position, belong to an extra curricular club which I believe CAP counts, plus an intramural sport.  Your days are full of stuff for four whole years.

Everyone that I personally knew who got appointments in the 90's, never earned the wing cadet of the year award or higher.  I personally opted not to pursue it and enjoyed the normal college life as a ROTC guy.  If you don't make the Academy the first time, they do highly look at ROTC students who are doing well in their first year.  I knew about a handful of people out of AFROTC who got appointments.  You have a lot options.